(disclaimer - I'm on the beginning portion of my very first AK build, on a Romy kit)

I saw the first pic in this thread the other week, but didn't read much of the rest of it (short attention span strikes again). Grabbed a washer of about the right size, and after filing a notch in it for the pin, gave it a test fit. I suppose I should have checked the thickness first

Figured I needed a plate to keep the trunnion flat and steady, so a grabbed a small piece of aluminum plate. I machined a recess for the area around the pin, a hole for the pin to push through, and a divot for the handguard lever thingy:

I then planed the back side to the requisite thickness:

A wrap of masking tape held it in place while in the press (used the 50-ton at work). Last piece of the puzzle was what to use as a pin to press out the barrel pin. I figured out the hard way that a piece of plain stainless rod won't cut it (amazing to see the end just moosh over like play-dough), so I dug in the scrapped tool bucket and found a snapped off tap shank. Drilled a hole in a scrap of aluminum bar to accept the shank (drilled a few thou undersize), then drove in the shank with a whack from a BFH. Viola - a push pin in a holder:

I figured that securing the 'pin' in an aluminum base would keep the pin from tipping over when pressure was applied and very suddenly going *PING!* in my general direction. Worked beautifully! According to the gauge on the press, it finally broke free at around 6-7 tons, and pressed on through with increasing ease. Now to pull the barrel!

Great idea with the washer! I just finished popping the barrel pin using this method along with an old vise. Since I don't have a welder (on the tool list), I epoxied the washer pieces (used two different sizes to make thickness) to a piece of scrap steel and drilled the relief hole. I used a rounded bit driver along with a 16" pipe wrench cheater on the vise and it worked great.
Thank you, thank you, thank you...
Now, to figure out how to pop the FSB without marring the barrel.
I'm having way to much fun!